A very successful fish stringer widely present on the market consists of a length of chain with a plurality of safety-pin-like fish clips secured to the chain at spaced intervals. The sharp end of the clip wire is normally lodged in a shielded pocket. To string a fish, the end is sprung out of the socket and threaded through the lower and upper lips of the fish and closed again. The bight of the clip permits enough jaw movement of the fish so that it can breathe freely while it is on the stringer. This type of stringer does a notably good job of keeping the fish alive until the day's fishing is done. The spaced intervals of the clips prevent crowding of the fish on the stringer and eventual jaw destruction and suffocation.
In pier and bridge fishing common in Florida and elsewhere, the fishing platform may be 12' to 20' or more above the water. Carrying such a length of line or chain with clips attached would present difficulties in tangling. Also, tailoring the length of the line to a variety of fishing locations presents obvious difficulties.
The lip hooking of the fish also raises problems in regard to a conventional stringer. The lips, while fairly strong and tough, can tear through. Such tearing is a likely eventuality when the fishing is good and the stringer must frequently be raised 12' in the air, for instance, to add another fish to it, the fish already on the stringer jerking and flopping. Even if the already caught fish should not shake themselves free, damage to the jaws and breathing mechanism is likely such that the fish may die prematurely.